


Better Than a Fairytail

by puppykihyun



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Fluff, M/M, Magic, Mentions of Drowning, Mermen Hyungkyun, Modern Fantasy, Soulmates, this is just really soft ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2019-01-18 21:31:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12396621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puppykihyun/pseuds/puppykihyun
Summary: "You touched my reproductive organ when you played with my fin, it’s not a big deal," Changkyun shrugged.“I touched your dick…” Minhyuk wheezed.“No, it’s called a clasper,” Changkyun said calmly, staring at his feet as he realized he no longer had a clasper.“Wait, so… you lost your fish stick,” Minhyuk whispered."My fish what?” Changkyun asked, confused.“Your fish stick!” he repeated“I... yes I lost my fish stick, Minhyuk.”





	Better Than a Fairytail

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jjokkiri](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjokkiri/gifts).



> Happy Birthday Iri , 3 I really hope that you enjoy this gift and that it fuels your tiny happy ChangHyuk loving heart! I hope you have the best birthday angel!
> 
> I made a sketch for Changkyun's tail since I felt I couldn't describe it properly for how I imagined it. His fins are roughly 6 feet wide! For Hyungwon's tail just picture Ursula from The little Mermaid but he's thinner and always changing colors and has spots on his tentacles.
> 
>  

Changkyun gazed at the boy sitting on the empty shore alone, the wind whipping his black hair away from his face as he soaked up the sun rays and stared out at the waves. He had a large forehead and a defined jawline. His nose had a gentle curve to it that Changkyun couldn't help but to look at with envy, yet he still admired it so. His skin was rich, and tan, seemingly glowing under the rays of the sun, even with the water casting more light upon his skin. Changkyun sighed as the boy stood up from his spot and moved closer to the shore line, sand falling away from his board shorts. His gaze traced the coast and Changkyun knew he'd overstayed and had to retreat into the surf. 

Despite this human being the most beautiful Changkyun laid eyes upon, he knew he couldn't be seen, no matter how desperately he desired to be. He sank down below the surface of the water and held his hand in front of him, smiling sadly as the rays of sunlight danced across his hand under the sea. He looked up as he continue to sank, deciding he was deep enough to be hidden from human eyes. He flapped his fins and propelled himself backwards before flipping over and swimming away from the beach. 

A school of rainbow surfperch swam just above the California kelp, before they darted into the reeds, hiding from a leopard shark that had swim above. Changkyun couldn't help but giggle at the fish as he slowed down and approached the leopard shark, he traced a hand along her back and smiled as she rubbed herself along his torso, circling him and allowing him to scratch her fin.

"You're gunna get your hand bit off one day," a voice said, scaring off the shark. The creature darted away from him and disappeared into the kelp, leaving a trail of terrified fish in her wake.

"Do you always have to scare off the nice sharks and seals?" Changkyun complained, turning to Hyungwon and pouting at the other merman.

"I don't do it intentionally, but sometimes you need to be reminded that not all sharks are friendly,” Hyungwon scoffed, his eight, long, fat, spotted tentacles billowing behind him as he slowed.

"You think I don't know which sharks to avoid?" Changkyun deadpanned.

"No, I know you do. I only ever see you interact with the leopard, nurse, and angel sharks. But one day you're going to get bit by a hungry shark," Hyungwon huffed.

"Hyungwon, the sea lions are a bigger threat to me then any of those sharks are, especially the leopard shark. They're small and just want to get love from time to time."

"You make it sound as if they're similar to what humans call cats," Hyungwon sighed. 

“They’re literally a giant sea pup,” Changkyun commented under his breath.

“What is a puppy?” Hyungwon asked, peering at Changkyun. 

Changkyun huffed and backed away from Hyungwon, flicking his thin tail at Hyungwon out of annoyance over the other hearing him. “It’s the human version of a leopard shark, probably.”

“Yeah... sure,” Hyungwon deadpanned. He swam up beside Changkyun and placed his arm around his shoulder one of his large tentacles wrapping around his tail, uncaring of the stinger on it. While another wrapped around Changkyun’s waist, his suckers securing the tentacle to him. "Now, speaking of humans, how was your pretty human doing today?" 

"He's not my human," Changkyun groaned. "I've only seen him a few times and we've never spoke. He doesn't even know I exist. I doubt he even believes I could exist!" Changkyun shouted, frustrated.

"Hey calm down," Hyungwon chided softly. "I know it's tough, trust me. But if you really are this serious about this human then I think you need to stop being afraid."

Changkyun stared at Hyungwon while he spoke, his jaw hanging open before snapping shut loudly. "What makes you think I'm serious about anyone?" Changkyun said defensively. 

"It's been over two months since you first found this boy and only started going to see him more frequently within the last week. You used to only search for him once or twice a week, you've been five times this week alone," Hyungwon said softly. 

Changkyun pulled away from the other, grimacing as Hyungwon’s suckers pulled at his skin, only releasing when Hyungwon himself relaxed his tentacle. Changkyun’s large pectoral fins smacking against a few of Hyungwon’s tentacles as he moved, he only felt it was just. However as he squirmed in place, he accidentally got his thin long tail wrapped up in the fronds the kelp. He swam up slightly, trying to get it out of the blades, but cringed as he felt his barb tug, almost coming out of his tail. He whined at the pain before sighing. Hyungwon shook his head, looking at him sympathetically and moving to unwrap him. 

"It's not safe to talk to a human. Hyunwoo said so."

"You can't blindly trust everything Hyunwoo tells you just because he's your older brother," Hyungwon huffed, gently pulling the kelp away from Changkyun to free his barb. "Not all humans are the same, especially if they love the ocean and nature as much as this one seemingly does. There are a lot of bad ones out there but you can never know."

"I know, but the idea of some of the stories I've heard coming true..." Changkyun paused, collecting his thoughts as different emotions hit him all at once. "It's terrifying, and confusing." 

Hyungwon gasped below him, finally pulling Changkyun's barb free from the kelp. The two of them swam upward a few feet, staying below the surface but getting out of reach of the kelp. "I'm sure if you ever decide to talk to this boy, you'll know when the time is right, and then you'll know that I'm right!" Hyungwon laughed, racing off, squirting ink behind him before Changkyun could get a word in edgewise.

Changkyun sighed and shook his head, swimming through a school of treefish as he bolted after his best friend, all while avoiding the blob of ink diffusing through the water.

 

******

 

Changkyun pulled himself out of the water and climbed onto the small sandy perch at the bottom of an alcove. The waves hit his tail and one of his pectoral fins where they hung out from the edge, keeping his skin from drying out. Changkyun had been told he shouldn’t allow his tail and fins to dry as a kid, his brother said he would shrivel up and be unable to move into the water again if he did. He loved the small alcove but he could only go into it when the tide was high and rough, otherwise the sand stayed too dry and was too difficult to reach.

He had the perfect view of the beach and the beautiful human from the alcove while still being hidden, the sky was dark, covered in gray clouds, which only further helped to keep Changkyun concealed. However, something seemed off today. He had been attributing it to the weather, but this wasn’t the first time he’d seen the boy on a stormy day. 

As he settled into the sandy floor he gazed at the boy. His eyes roamed from each item the boy had with him, before they finally landed on what Changkyun knew to be a surf board. He’d never seen the boy bring one with him, upon this realization a sense of dread settled into the pit of Changkyun’s stomach. 

Not only did he have no clue if the boy knew how to surf, he also knew this was a dangerous spot to surf. The ground was rocky with intricate rock formations sticking up, some sharp enough to cut even a merman’s tail. Further out into the surf, where most riders would settle in the waves, there was kelp that reached the top of the water. Countless merman had been tangled in it and lived, but a human would not meet such a kind fate. 

Changkyun watched the boy nervously as he paced across the beach, scratching his chin with a large hand and kicking sand out from under his feet. The boy stopped suddenly, turning out to look at the water before marching across the land and kneeling next to his surfboard. Changkyun’s stomach lurched when the boy strapped the lead to his ankle, hefting his surf board up into his arms. He marched out into the water, the water lapping at the bottom of his wetsuit as he cut through the rough waves. Changkyun gripped the sharp ledge of the cave, shrinking in on himself as the boy stumbled, most likely over a rock.

The boy finally placed his surfboard into the water when he was waist deep, pushing it along with him as he moved. The water rose higher and got rougher the further he went out, the boy seemed to be struggling to move but just as it reached his arm pits he pulled himself up onto the board. He was nearly toppled over by a four foot wave, however he just barely had enough time to dip his board’s nose into it, popping up on the other side and paddling farther out. 

By this point there was only about thirty feet between Changkyun and the human, but the merman knew he couldn’t leave the boy alone. It was too dangerous for him to be left alone so Changkyun had no choice but to slip into the water and push himself against the rock wall, only allowing his eyes and the top of his head to poke out of the water. The boy reached the kelp forest, continuing to paddle deeper into it and stopped just before the highest point where the kelp touched the surface. Changkyun could only hope it was because the human had seen the kelp and knew the dangers of it.

The boy turned his board to the side, waiting for the perfect wave. They both sat there for several minutes, tension flowing through Changkyun while the human seemed relax, allowing the small waves to pass under him, rocking him gently on his board. However soon the water seemed to almost go still, only the smallest rolls affecting the surfer, but both of them could see a wave growing, building up. The human turned his board to face it and paddled closer to it, however as he paddled he seemed to freeze. Time stood still for a moment as the wave grew larger and closer, the boy pulled his arm from the water and moved it in a large arc once more to go forward but his board wouldn’t budge. The human started using his feet to kick but one of them came up covered in kelp and when it was brought back down, it wouldn’t come back up. 

Nausea overtook Changkyun when he realized the boy was panicking, he moved forward to help, but it was too late, the wave was right before him. It knocked him off his board and into the water. Changkyun froze, waiting for the boy to pop up somewhere after the wave passed but all he saw was his board alone, being pushed to the shore. Changkyun sprang into action, blindly propelling himself towards the kelp, ignoring the fear flowing through him at going into the death trap. 

When he got closer, he saw the human struggling in the kelp, panicking and only further entrapping himself. Changkyun swiftly approached him, grabbing his hand with his own and placing a hand on the boys head, he stilled and stared at Changkyun in awe, his eyes tracing down his body as Changkyun tugged at the kelp on the boys wrist, freeing one of them. Changkyun moved onto the other wrist, working as quickly as he could but he felt paralyzed when he watched the tension leave the boy's arm, and he went limp. Changkyun gasped, working even faster to keep the human from drowning. He freed his hand and moved to his legs, pulling the kelp off the limbs and managing to slide it down his ankles and feet but it felt like a torturously long time. 

When he was finally free Changkyun gasped and grabbed the boy, pulling him up to the surface, he shook him, hoping to wake him up but it was unsuccessful. He groaned, moving the human to the shore as quickly as he could, keeping his own tail and the human’s feet clear of the kelp, once they were away from the weed’s reaches he sped up and practically threw himself and the human onto the beach. He got him as far away from the water as he could and laid him on his back. Changkyun remembered hearing rumors that all you needed to do save a drowned human was to push on their chest in a few solid motions and breath into their mouth. He’d never done it, or seen how to do it, but the last thing he wanted to do was let the boy die without him ever trying to save him. 

Changkyun sat up as he best he could with his wide flat fins around his hips and placed his hands on the human’s chest, pushing down ten times, when nothing happened Changkyun began to panic. He quickly grabbed the boys face and eased his mouth open, he breathed into him in a slow steady motion once. He stared at him, his eyes growing wide as the boy continued to lay still. He bent forward once more and breathed into him, hope draining from him as time went on without any movement. He pushed on his chest a few more times, however he stayed still and Changkyun’s final dredges of hope left him. He sat back, remorse flowing through him at being unable to save the human’s life. 

Changkyun began to shuffle away, but he gasped, lunging forward when water sputtered from the boys mouth. He coughed and clutched his chest, rolling over onto his side and bringing his face almost right into Changkyun’s dark gray fin. Changkyun felt a sliver of fear at the human and began to back away but froze when the human reached out weakly.

“Please don’t leave me alone,” the boy whispered, squeezing Changkyun’s arm. “I want to know my savior before he swims away.”

“I... okay,” Changkyun breathed out. “Are you okay?”

“I’m breathing,” he croaked. 

Changkyun couldn’t help but smile lightly at the statement and nodded at him. The boy stroked his fin gently as he regained his senses and attempted to recuperate from drowning. Changkyun’s tail and fins began to tingle but he thought nothing of it. He moved his gaze from Changkyun’s tail and up to Changkyun’s face, a light smile stretching across his face.

“What’s your name?” he asked. “Mine’s Minhyuk.” 

“It’s Changkyun,” he said softly. 

Minhyuk exhaled loudly and nodded, pushing himself up shortly after. He almost fell back into the sand face first but Changkyun reached out and caught him, preventing him from getting hurt further. He helped Minhyuk sit up before he shyly pulled his hands back to himself, not being able to look the beautiful boy in the eyes for very long, settling his torso comfortably into the sand so he wasn't straining his back. Changkyun loved his tail but it wasn’t as convenient as Hyungwon’s octopus tail or his brother’s shark tail.

It was silent between them after they exchanged names. Changkyun was much too nervous to speak to Minhyuk and he had no clue what the human could possibly be thinking. 

They spent minutes in silence, before Minhyuk finally spoke up again. “Thank you for saving me. I honestly thought I was a goner when the wave swept over me.”

“I couldn’t let you drown...” Changkyun paused, glancing up at Minhyuk’s face shyly. “I had been watching you from the rocks and I knew as soon as you took your surfboard out that something bad was going to happen.”

“How did you know?” Minhyuk asked skeptically.

“I live past the kelp forest and come here to play. I always find birds tangled in the kelp and have been tangled in it myself,” Changkyun said, trailing his hand along a piece of broken seaweed that still had itself wrapped along Minhyuk’s leg. Changkyun gently unwrapped it from his leg and pulled it off. “When this stuff grabs onto you it doesn’t like letting you go. It’s a death trap if you don’t know how to get out of it, especially for a human.”

Minhyuk took a deep breath and gazed out at the water, his eyes looked almost empty, as if he realized just how close to death he had been. Changkyun knew anything going through Minhyuk’s head was probably right. If the merman hadn’t been there, Minhyuk would be dead, tangled in the kelp for his body to wash up on the shore later. Just like the many seabirds Changkyun had seen dead inside the kelp, left for scavengers and bottom feeders to consume.

“Have you ever found a human body?” Minhyuk asked, voice low and cold. 

Changkyun couldn’t help but shiver at his tone, but shook his head in response. “I never have and I really hope I never do.” 

Minhyuk nodded and looked down at the sand, pulling his gaze away from the ocean. Changkyun watched the human curiously, fascinated by how stunning he looked up close despite being able to see his flaws this close up. The skin around his nose was red and irritated and he had small red spots scattered across his face, yet he was still the most beautiful human Changkyun had ever seen. Changkyun stared at him before jumping when Minhyuk brought a hand back to his fin.

Minhyuk looked up at Changkyun, his eyes wide as he pulled his hand back to himself. “I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay,” Changkyun said gently, reaching for his hand with his own. He held it loosely and brought it down to his fin where Minhyuk’s hand had been previously. “I don’t have a problem with you touching it as long as you don’t hurt me, but mind the barb on my tail.”

“I would never!” Minhyuk said adamantly. “I won’t ever hurt you,” he whispered. 

Changkyun couldn’t help but smile at Minhyuk’s words and nodded, watching in fascination as Minhyuk’s hand trailed down his tail. His tail shimmered as his hand trailed down it, and the tingling sensation grew stronger, developing into an intense itch. Changkyun’s eyebrows furrowed as the color of the the tail began changing under the human's hand. Soon enough Changkyun’s entire tail was a rich navy blue with two white streaks running from the corner of his fins down to the end and turning his tail itself white. He flapped one of his fins, reaching out to hold it up and gasping at the change on the underside. What had once been a solid light gray was now black with white in the center, spots and stripes running across where he could see.

Both Minhyuk and Changkyun froze and stared at his tail and fins, several seconds passed before Changkyun cursed and dropped his fin. Minhyuk quickly drew his hand away from Changkyun but wouldn’t stop gazing at him in pure fascination. “How the hell did my tail and fins change colors?” Changkyun’s voice cracked as he spoke but he couldn’t bring himself to feel embarrassed.

“Have you ever heard of this happening before?” Minhyuk whispered, awe lacing his words.

“Not that I can remember,” Changkyun responded. “It’s not that big of a deal, and it’s really pretty.”

“Very pretty,” Minhyuk interrupted.

Changkyun ignored the human and continued. “But I don’t understand why it would happen?”

“Was it because I pet you? Do humans bring changes in...mermen?” Minhyuk’s sentence came out stilted, as if he was still trying to accept reality. Changkyun wouldn’t be surprised if he was. 

“It’s possible? My brother told me humans are dangerous and that's all I’ve ever been told about your kind, he never told me stuff like this could happen,” Changkyun said, tracing his hand along the white streak.

“Maybe it’s not something mermaids and mermen want to talk about,” Minhyuk said. “Certain topics are taboo where I live and you can make people mad at you for talking about them. Maybe it’s like that.”

“It’s possible, it might be forgotten knowledge too. We don’t keep documentation of our kind since the water would destroy anything we try to write and preserve, all stories and legends we have are passed on by word of mouth.” Changkyun said remorsefully. 

“Well record it yourself,” Minhyuk told him, placing a hand on the base of Changkyun’s tail.

“I might,” Changkyun said. “But I want to know if it’s really from human touch or not.”

“What else could it have been from?” Minhyuk asked.

“A heroic act,” Changkyun shrugged. “I don’t know it could be from a number of things.”

“Me touching your tail is the only thing that makes sense though,” Minhyuk said. He rubbed a hand down Changkyun’s leg before freezing, his hand growing stiff. “I swear this one isn’t my fault,” Minhyuk wheezed. 

“What?” Changkyun asked, looking at Minhyuk, the boy's face was drained of color as he stared down at Changkyun’s tail. Changkyun followed his gaze and gasped, his tail had disappeared and looked like human feet and his fin was slowly turning into legs. He gasped and stared at his fins as they disappeared, he felt as if he would cry, he didn’t understand why he was changing. The rich navy blue and turned into thin tanned legs, he continued staring but his view was blocked by Minhyuk placing a towel from his waist to what were now his knees.

“Why did you put the towel down?” Changkyun asked, moving to pick it up. However, he gasped when Minhyuk pushed the towel back down, roughly covering him. 

“Dude you need to cover your dick!” Minhyuk gasped.

“Dick is a funny word,” Changkyun responded, staring at his legs.

“Fine, you need to cover your penis,” Minhyuk said, rolling his eyes.

“Oh, isn’t that the human reproductive organ? You touched my reproductive organ when you played with my fin, it’s not a big deal.”

“I touched your dick…” Minhyuk wheezed.

“No, it’s called a clasper,” Changkyun said calmly, staring at his feet as he realized he no longer had a clasper. 

“Wait, so… you lost your fish stick,” Minhyuk whispered.

“My fish what?” Changkyun asked, confused. 

“Your fish stick.”

“I... yes I lost my fish stick, Minhyuk,” Changkyun sighed. “But why is it gone? This makes no sense I’ve been told mermen and mermaids shrivel when they dry, not grow human legs.”

“Well your fish stick must be pretty shriveled now,” Minhyuk laughed.

Changkyun stared at the human, his eyebrows furrowing together in confusion. “For Poseidon's sake, how are you so calm?”

“I’m pretty sure I’m in shock,” Minhyuk said flatly.

“It’s been like thirty minutes since I saved you,” Changkyun responded, arching an eyebrow at the other.

“I almost died, was saved by a merman, and discovered mermaids are real. On top of that apparently mermaids can grow legs... Oh and that people’s ideas of mermaid only having one kind of tail is wrong. This is like, a lot to take in dude,” Minhyuk argued, eyebrows furrowing as he stared down at Changkyun’s new legs.

“Yes but what the fuck about my legs?” Changkyun huffed.

“Well you said you were told you shrivel up when you dry? Maybe this is what they actually meant? So just get wet and see what happens!” Minhyuk exclaimed. 

“I don’t know if I can even stand on my legs,” Changkyun replied.

“Let me help you up, but keep my towel over your dick.” Minhyuk said.

“You mean my penis,” Changkyun dead panned.

“Yes, I mean your penis.” Minhyuk sighed.

Changkyun nodded as Minhyuk stood up, seemingly having recovered from almost drowning after the two of them sat for such a long period. Changkyun pressed the towel against his lap when Minhyuk reached out for him. He smiled softly when he curled his hand under Changkyun’s tricep, helping to pull him up onto his new feet. Changkyun spread his legs out when he wobbled, gripping tightly onto Minhyuk to keep himself from falling. When Changkyun felt stable he took a step forward and sharply let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. 

“See, you can walk fine,” Minhyuk said, smiling at Changkyun. The latter nodded but didn’t let go of Minhyuk’s arm, still afraid of walking on his own. 

“Wait,” Minhyuk said suddenly, stopping changkyun before they reached the water line. “If you really do get your tail back by getting wet won’t you fall? You might get hurt.” 

Changkyun looked over at Minhyuk, nodding when he realized he was probably right. His gaze shifted from the human and back to the water line. The sea retreated as a new wave came in, stirring up the sand as the ocean lapped at the shore. As a little clam rolled through the water, getting pulled in by the tide, it gave Changkyun an idea. “What if I just sit down and scoot the rest of the way to the water? That way I won’t fall.”

“That would probably work!” Minhyuk said excitedly. “Sit, sit!” Minhyuk helped him get down, his legs folding under himself. Minhyuk pulled his arm away from Changkyun and stepped back, his excited gaze falling on the merman as he practically shook with energy. Changkyun couldn’t help but smile at the other before taking a deep breath and scooting forward, pushing himself into the coming wave.

The water splashed up his body, throwing water onto his face and soaking the towel, but right before their eyes Changkyun’s legs transformed back into a tail. His feet turned into a long thin white tail, floating gently in the waves. A light shimmer traced up his legs as his fins grew outwards, enrapturing both boys. They sat still for a moment, both amazed by the event that they discovered together.

“Wow,” Minhyuk whispered, awestruck.

“Yeah...”

“Does this mean you can be human anytime you dry out?” Minhyuk asked.

“I think so, but why isn’t this something they tell us?” Changkyun bemused.

“Maybe they don’t want you going on land and being with humans,” Minhyuk shrugged.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what it was,” Changkyun agreed. He gazed out at the horizon, realizing how far the sun had sank when he did. It was only a few minutes until sunset and he would be in trouble if he wasn’t back soon. 

“I have to go,” Changkyun breathed out, glancing over at Minhyuk. “Will you be here again tomorrow?” 

“It depends,” Minhyuk lilted, tone teasing. “Will you be here tomorrow?”

“If you want me to be, I will,” Changkyun said shyly. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Minhyuk chirped. 

Changkyun’s shoulders rose slightly, a smile growing in his face as his head whipped towards the human.

“Later, fish boy,” Minhyuk teased, giggling. Changkyun rolled his eyes but pulled the towel off his lap, handing it to Minhyuk. 

“Later, Minhyuk,” Changkyun said softly. He moved further into the water, pushing forward with his hands as his fins flapped awkward on the sand, trying to push him back but struggling since they were upside down, he managed to turn around and get into deeper water to turn himself right side up. He raised his arm and waved at Minhyuk, before quickly dipping into the water and submerging himself completely. He spun as he moved through the water, his newly colored fins leaving a trail of bubbles behind him. He whooped happily as he swooped through a large rock formation, his arms spun out happily as he twirled.

“Uh, Changkyun,” a voice rang out. Changkyun froze mid spin and winced when his fins smacked against Hyungwon’s torso. 

“Fucking hell, watch it with that...” Hyungwon paused, eyes growing wide as his gaze trailed up Changkyun’s body and back down. “What the fuck happened to your fins?” 

“Uh...” Changkyun wheezed, fiddling with his fingers. “I kind of rescued that human I’ve been watching? And when he touched my fin this happened.” Changkyun shrugged, not being able to look Hyungwon in the eye. 

“Do you know what it means when our tails change?” Hyungwon asked.

“No, I’ve never even heard of this happening before,” Changkyun replied, looking back up at Hyungwon. 

“It’s a legend my mom told me. When a mermaid or merman meets their soulmate their tail will change colors completely or partially, the way yours did. It supposed to be very rare and hasn’t happened for over a century because of how far spread out communities are.” Hyungwon told him, coming closer to Changkyun. The elder held a hand out to Changkyun, moving forward, Changkyun grasped onto it, intertwining their fingers.

“It’s cruel that your soulmate is a human, of all the things it could have been,” Hyungwon sighed. 

“It’s not!” Changkyun said, mirth filling his voice. “I discovered something! You know how as children we’re told that if we lay out of water and allow ourselves to dry that we’ll shrivel up and be unable to move?” 

Hyungwon nodded but his eyebrows laced together, a look of clear confusion. “But what does that have to do with anything?”

“Because,” Changkyun groaned, exasperated. “It’s not true. We don’t shrivel up, our tails turn into human legs!” 

“Why do I not believe you?” Hyungwon deadpanned.

“If our tails change colors when our soulmate rubs them is it really so hard to believe that we could develop legs when we dry out?” Changkyun pushed.

“I guess I see your point,” Hyungwon agreed easily, squeezing Changkyun’s hand. “But do you know what this means?” Hyungwon grinned.

“Oh no,” Changkyun whispered, dread filling him.

“Oh yes, I’m going with you the next time you see him,” Hyungwon smirked.

“No,” Changkyun yelped. “If you’re really going to come you need to wait a while. Give me a chance to know him.”

“Fine,” Hyungwon sighed, put out. “But tell me his name at least.”

 

******

 

Changkyun was spread out on a towel on the beach next to Minhyuk. The human had brought boardshorts for Changkyun to wear if he wanted to dry out and move around on the sand. Changkyun still found it odd to restrict himself in fabric. Mermaids and mermen didn’t wear any clothes, especially not those bra things Minhyuk mentioned. Mermaid’s had no problem allowing their breasts to float freely and it wasn’t shameful to do. His friend Yeoju had small breasts but she allowed them to be out, unrestrained. As all mermaids do.

Changkyun looked over at Minhyuk, who was laying on top of his own yellow towel, basking in the sun. He couldn’t help but to smile at the human as he sat up, bending his legs towards his chest. “Is all you do sunbathe?” Changkyun asked.

“No,” Minhyuk said, opening a single eye to look at him. “But I like to just lay here when I’m tired. It’s relaxing.”

Changkyun nodded, looking at the other as his skin glistened in the sun, highlighting his best feature and washing out the redness on his face. Minhyuk closed his eye again, turning over onto his stomach and relaxing. Changkyun figured he didn’t have the energy to really talk today so he stood up from his towel. 

Minhyuk looked back up at him, surprised. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m just moving my towel,” Changkyun replied, pulling his towel directly beside Minhyuk’s. He laid it flat and got back on it, shooting Minhyuk a wide smile as he mirrored his position. Minhyuk just laughed in response, muttering a soft ‘cute’ under his breath. All Changkyun could do was grin and close his eyes, prepared to nap on the beach with the human by his side.

 

******

 

Changkyun and Hyungwon swam up to the shore after checking Minhyuk was alone, their heads popping above the surface once they were closer. Minhyuk looked surprised at seeing more than just Changkyun, most likely due to the fact the merman had come alone every visit before now. However he didn’t seem disappointed.

“Hey,” Changkyun said, pulling himself up onto the beach. Hyungwon stared at him skeptically but followed his lead, easily moving onto the beach with his large tentacles. Changkyun couldn’t help but laugh at how awkward Hyungwon appeared despite having acted so confidently a week or so ago. However they both grew alarmed at Minhyuk’s shout, as the boy jumped up and away from them. Changkyun’s stomach dropped as both he and Hyungwon froze, preparing to flee back into the water.

“You’re the sea witch!” Minhyuk shouted, pointing a finger at Hyungwon.

“The… the what?” both boys asked together.

“The sea witch! He has an octopus body! He’s going to cast a spell on me!” 

“Where are you getting this from…” Hyungwon choked out, looking mildly horrified as he stared Minhyuk down.

“The sea witch Ursula, from The Little Mermaid. She was part octopus and was evil, she cast spells on mermen and mermaids and stole them. Taking their lives under her control.” Minhyuk said, still stiff as he stared at Hyungwon, refusing to break eye contact.

“First of all I don’t know any magic, second of all if I wanted to steal someone it certainly wouldn’t be someone like you,” Hyungwon huffed, looking at Minhyuk distastefully. Despite the situation Changkyun couldn’t help but laugh at Hyungwon’s response, shaking his head as Minhyuk finally looked over at where Changkyun was laying splayed out in the sand.

Minhyuk’s stare was intense and even though it was funny Changkyun couldn’t fault him. “Humans have an odd idea of what mermaids are like,” Changkyun said. “Very few of us practice magic and we certainly don’t cast spells on humans or other mermen. What kind of movie is this that gave you that idea?”

“The Little Mermaid is a Disney movie! It’s a classic!” Minhyuk said excitedly.

“Right…” Hyungwon said, urging him to go on.

“There’s this mermaid princess named Ariel who’s in love with a human and wants to be with him! But her father King Triton won’t let her,” Minhyuk started.

“Wait, hold on,” Changkyun interrupted. “Humans know about Ariel?”

“She’s real?” Minhyuk breathed, his eyes going wide in disbelief.

“She’s not. Poseidon has many children, as does Triton, but Ariel was a legend created to keep merpeople away from humans and to discourage them from learning the forms of magic merpeople can use,” Hyungwon told him.

“How did humans learn about it?” Changkyun pondered.

“Well, you must not be the first merman to discover you grow legs when you’re dry,” Minhyuk teased, relaxed once more. He finally settled back into the sand, sitting down in front of Changkyun and next to Hyungwon.

“I guess not,” Changkyun agreed.

“So, did you bring…” Minhyuk paused as he spoke, staring at Hyungwon before sighing. “What’s your name?” Minhyuk asked.

Hyungwon laughed, shaking his head at the human. “It’s Hyungwon.”

“Did you bring Hyungwon to test out our tail theory?” Minhyuk asked.

“No I didn’t,” Changkyun replied. “There’s actually a legend that Hyungwon’s mother passed onto him that he told me when he saw my tail.”

“A legend?” Minhyuk parroted.

“Yeah it’s about soulmates,” Changkyun said nervously, unsure how the other would react. However Minhyuk didn’t disappoint. His jaw hung open as he leaned forward into Changkyun’s space, an excited fire to his eyes.

“Tell me about the legend!” Minhyuk exclaimed, vibrating with excitement.

“Well,” Hyungwon spoke up. “It’s said that when a mermaid or merman meets their soulmate and they stroke their tail for the first time it will change the color or pattern. It’s an extremely rare occurrence and supposedly hasn’t happened for over a century. This is the first time I’ve ever believed it to be true,” Hyungwon finished. 

Minhyuk stared at the two of them in fascination, his jaw hanging open before it snapped shut. He looked at Hyungwon skeptically before slowly reaching out, giving Hyungwon enough time to knock his hand away if he wanted to. Hyungwon smiled at the human and moved one of his long spotted tentacles into Minhyuk’s hand, wrapping the tentacle around the boy's arm, his suction cups sticking to him. Minhyuk yelped and jumped, pulling on his arm but Hyungwon’s tentacle wouldn’t budge. Hyungwon and Changkyun laughed at the human's reaction before Hyungwon easily popped his suckers off of Minhyuk’s arm, pulling his tentacle away.

Minhyuk stared at the round spots on his arm from Hyungwon’s large tentacle before he looked up at the other. He reached back out and gently rubbed his hand against the top of Hyungwon’s tentacle, when it continued to stay the same Minhyuk’s gaze shifted to Changkyun. He looked almost shocked yet there was a quiet joy and excitement dancing across his face, that's when Changkyun knew Minhyuk was accepting their status as soulmates. 

“Holy shit,” Minhyuk whispered. He looked up at Changkyun, his lips parted slightly as he stared at him. Changkyun couldn’t help but smile at his awestruck expression, and felt a slight giddiness course through himself. He had been so afraid Minhyuk would reject the idea of being soulmates with a merman or the idea of soulmates in general, but it seemed he had nothing to truly worry about.

“What does this mean for us though?” Minhyuk questioned.

“What do you mean?” Changkyun asked.

“Well, even though you get legs when you dry, can we really be together? I can’t live in the ocean, so would you be willing to leave it for even just a few days?” Minhyuk looked down, fiddling with his fingers in his lap. 

“Maybe? It really just depends on how much I come to love you and how far from the ocean you live. I don’t think I could ever leave the sea permanently,” Changkyun replied, frowning. 

“I would never keep you from the ocean!” Minhyuk said adamantly. “And I love the water too much to stay away from it for more than a week.”

Changkyun couldn’t help but smile at the others response, warmth bubbling in his stomach, only to be broken by an annoying bored voice. “Aren’t you two getting ahead of yourselves?” Hyungwon said judgmentally.

“Hyungwon,” Changkyun sighed. “We’re literally soulmates, that means things will be very likely to work out.”

“And if they don’t want to we can figure out how to make them work!” Minhyuk pipped in. The response actually earned a surprised smile from Hyungwon. It appeared as if despite the bad first impression, his friend seemed pleased with Minhyuk.

“So when exactly will our tails turn into legs?” Hyungwon asked. “I want to see what the human hectocotylus looks like.”

 

******

 

“You didn’t seem nearly as excited about growing legs as I thought you would be,” Changkyun commented as he and Hyungwon swam into their hideout.

“I was in shock, I thought you were just pulling my tentacle the whole time,” Hyungwon said, settling into the sand that covered the sea floor, his tentacles curling under and around him.

The spot they took over wasn’t special, or very large, or even a place they had to themselves. There were fish flitting about with leopard sharks swimming above them, but no merman or mermaid would see them unless they swam directly overhead. It was just a small gap amongst the thickest portion of the kelp forest, most likely created by the unusually large hoard of sea urchins that had been going through the forest.

“If you thought I was lying why did you come?” Changkyun asked, settling beside Hyungwon. 

“Are you implying I don’t have the freedom to go with my best friend to the surface when I please?” Hyungwon asked, mock offence lacing his tone.

“You know that's not what I meant,” Changkyun whined, settling against the sea floor, his head landing against the smooth side of one of Hyungwon’s tentacles. 

“Yeah…” Hyungwon sighed. “I just wanted to go with you your first time seeing Minhyuk.” Hyungwon placed a hand in Changkyun’s hair, causing the boy to jump slightly at the unexpected touch. The elder gently ran his fingers along Changkyun’s scalp, at the same time he moved one of his free tentacles. It curled protectively around Changkyun’s torso, calming him and allowing him to relax back into his spot. 

“But why?” Changkyun asked, turning his head upwards to look at the elder.

“He’s a human, even though he’s your soulmate he could still be dangerous,” Hyungwon hummed. 

“Weren’t you the one who encouraged me to talk to him and reveal myself,” Changkyun accused.

“Yes but I didn’t think you would ever actually follow through with it,” Hyungwon defended.

“Hyungwon...” Changkyun sighed.

“I just want you to be safe,” Hyungwon whispered, curling his tentacle around Changkyun tighter.

Changkyun looked up at Hyungwon smiling fondly. “I know.” When the elder stayed silent Changkyun closed his eyes, Hyungwon’s hand falling away from his hair as he relaxed. Changkyun rested his hands against the tentacle Hyungwon had wrapped around him, stroking it softly. He breathed deeply, air bubbles rushing from his mouth and up into Hyungwon’s face.

“He seems like a good person though,” Hyungwon said casually, breaking the silence.

“You think so?” Changkyun asked.

“Yeah, plus if he does hurt you I’ll just lead a tiger shark into the bay.” 

“Oh my god, Hyungwon no. You would end up that shark’s dinner not Minhyuk.” Changkyun groaned.

“Relax kid,” Hyungwon teased, placing a hand on Changkyun’s head, ruffling his hair. “I would never put myself in danger like that.”

“If you say so,” Changkyun said, side eyeing the elder.

 

******

 

Changkyun swam through the sparse kelp at the edge of the forest, moving gracefully to avoid each individual blade, disliking the feeling of the weeds brushing against him. Ahead of him, he heard the roar of a boat motor churning the water before it came into sight. He swooped lower into the water, rushing down to the seafloor and pushing his torso under the fronds of the nearest kelp his fins and tail settling against the bottom, making him appear to be an actual ray. He wrapped his hands around the stipe and held onto it to stay in place while pulling himself as close as possible. He knew it was difficult to be seen in the waters of the kelp forest, but he’s had one too many close calls with boat sightings to not seek proper cover.

The boat came closer and seemingly slowed down as it passed overhead. Changkyun wasn’t entirely sure if it was reality or his imagination, all he could do was pray to Poseidon that it was the latter and to ask for protection. The motor whipped the water around, pulling blades of kelp off the highest reaches of the plants and knocking them downwards as they were torn apart. Changkyun glared at the motor before letting out a sharp gasp. His eyes grew wide, watching in helpless despair as a rock wrasse got sucked up into the motor from the safety of the kelp. 

Changkyun’s stomach lurched as he watched the fish flounder, aware of it’s impending demise. Changkyun closed his eyes before it got sucked up, left to hope it would die fast and not suffer as he’d seen many larger fish do. When he could no longer hear the boat he opened his eyes and saw the fish floating down, dead. He let out a breathe of relief at knowing it was swift. 

He pulled away from the kelp now that he knew it was safe and creeped towards the sinking creature, but he jumped when a bat ray swooped in and sucked up the fish with it’s large mouth. He smiled and shook his head at the creature, glad that the rock wrasse wasn’t wasted. He approached the bat ray once it finished consuming its meal. The creature glided towards him in return, whipping it’s tail as if in excitement. 

Changkyun has always had a soft spot in his heart for sharks and rays. The large majority were both so sweet and friendly (not that you would ever see him near a tiger shark or great white) and they didn’t deserve the bad reputation that humans gave them. They were nice and harmless to mermaids and humans alike, the problem was when rays and sharks felt threatened or startled. Of course very few humans could understand that or simply didn’t care enough to attempt to try.

The ray circled around Changkyun, her tail brushing against him harmlessly. She rubbed her fin against him in a single motion before she turned towards his chest, placing her belly against him and shuffling. Changkyun chuckled at the action, always surprised by how friendly the bat rays were with him. He placed a hand at the top of her head, behind her eyes and gently trailed it down her back. She squirmed under his touch before swimming upwards, dragging her underbelly against him as she looped around, swimming upside down. Changkyun giggled happily at the spectacle, smiling at her before an idea came to him.

Changkyun had been on his way to the beach to see Minhyuk, but now he figured he could try to coax the ray into coming with him. "Do you want to come with me to the beach, little one?" Changkyun asked, gliding closer to her with a coaxing motion to his hands. She flapped her fins gracefully, seemingly nodding as she moved. Changkyun smiled at her before he swam the rest of the way towards her, scratching her head as he swam over her. She moved with him, following him to the beach as they weaved through the sparse kelp.

They reached the edge of the forest and the small bat ray seemed to grow nervous, Changkyun reached out, placing a hand against her fin to calm her. He held his hand there as they swam, slowing down as they approached the shore. "Do you have a name little one?" Changkyun asked her.

She moved side to side in response, as if shaking her head. "How do you like the sound of Angel?"

In response to the name she swooped lower to the sand, looping upwards and going in a smooth, fluid arc. Changkyun flapped his fins in response to her, his tail whipping back and forth to show her his own happiness. "Let’s go up to the beach, Angel," Changkyun told her. "I want you to meet my friend."

She stared at him for a moment, before swimming ahead of him to the beach. She reached the shore before he could and pulled up to the shallowest reaches of the water. Changkyun breached the surface of the water, laughing joyfully at the surprise apparent on Minhyuk's face. The human was staring wide eyed at the bat ray before him, only a few feet away with her fins flapping happily in the water.

"I managed to bring you a friend, Minhyuk," Changkyun said, shuffling closer to the beach and laying down in the sand, keeping his tail and fins in the water.

"She's so pretty," Minhyuk breathed out, standing up. He walked closer to the water, looking at Angel in fascination. "Will she let me pet her?"

"She might, but if she moves away from you give her space and let her come to you," Changkyun replied.

"But what if she doesn't come to me?" Minhyuk worried.

"I'll be sure she does," Changkyun smirked.

Minhyuk side eyed the other, his brows furrowing together in response, before taking cautious steps into the water. He approached Angel and nealt down, reaching a hand out but he froze when she splashed and backed away. Changkyun snickered at the response and slid closer to Angel.

"It's okay, angel," Changkyun whispered, reaching out to scratch her head. "Let me get you something for her, hold still."

Before Minhyuk could respond, Changkyun flapped his fins to move further back into the water, splashing some up into Minhyuk's face. Changkyun giggled as Minhyuk spluttered, wiping salt water from his face and glaring at the merman as he disappeared under water. Changkyun turned around to face the open waters and kelp forest and smiled at the group of sardines swimming in front of the forest. He swooped lower into the water, staying as close to the bottom as he could with the rocks covering it. He seemed to have still gone unnoticed by the group of fish, so he slowly crept up on them, before giving one strong flap of his fins and pushed with his arms. He reached out and thankfully managed to grab two sardines in his left hand and one in his right.

He smiled at his success, not feeling bad about taking the fish since they had a purpose. Finding a clam would have been easier but the bat ray wouldn't be as receptive to a clam since it would take her more effort to eat it. Plus he already knew Angel liked fish after watching her eat the rock wrasse. All rays ate fish, but some had a preference for fish, others clam, and some just ate what they could find. It really just depended on where they lived, Changkyun noticed.

Changkyun got back to the shore and popped out of the water, smiling at Minhyuk as he shook his hair to get it out of his eyes. "I got you this," Changkyun said, holding his right hand out.

"What is it?" Minhyuk asked, shuffling closer to Changkyun. He held his hands out to take the fish, still unaware of the gift he was receiving.

"Feed it to Angel, she'll love you." Changkyun dropped the fish into Minhyuk's hand and the human let out a shriek as the fish landed in his hands, wriggling about. Minhyuk jumped and threw the fish in the air, landing behind him in the sand. Changkyun snickered at the reaction and flapped his fins heartily, stirring the water up as it lapped against his back. "Go pick up the fish silly." Changkyun told him.

"I don't wanna," Minhyuk whined. "She was wriggly and slimy."

"But... I'm slimy," Changkyun pouted. He reached around, turning slightly to touch his pectoral fins and feel them. "Do you not want to pet me or be near me for it?"

"Uhh..."

"And Angel is slimy and wriggly, she's just a different fish then the sardine I gave you," Changkyun said. Minhyuk stared at him for a second, absorbing his words, nodding as he thought. Soon enough he sighed and stood up. Changkyun watched with mild curiosity as Minhyuk stood up, searching for the sardine before he spotted it wriggling in the sand, still breathing and fighting. Minhyuk bent over to pick it up, his hand hovered over it for a second, clearly hesitant, before he grabbed the fish. 

Changkyun couldn't help but laugh at the face he made when he turned around, distaste apparent on his face. When Minhyuk's gaze shifted over to Changkyun at the sound of his laugh they made eye contact, and Changkyun's smile only grew at how Minhyuk's expression morphed into something a little happier, softer, the creases in his forehead smoothing out. 

"Just hold your hand out with the sardine, keep a thumb over the fish so it won't escape but Angel will still be able to suck it up," Changkyun instructed as Minhyuk got closer. "Hold it about a foot in front of her and let her come to you. There's no need to be scared,” Changkyun reassured him, reaching up for Minhyuk’s free hand with his own, intertwining their fingers. Minhyuk turned his gaze back to Changkyun, looking away from Angel. “As long as you don't startle her or scare her she won't hurt you, just be gentle and slow." Changkyun smiled encouragingly at the human, squeezing his hand, earning a wide smile from Minhyuk.

"I've pet a stingray before, in an aquarium," Minhyuk said. "But I've never pet a wild stingray. The ones in the aquarium don't have their barbs." 

"No barbs?" Changkyun repeated, confused at the idea of a ray without any form of defense.

"Yeah, aquariums cut off the barbs," Minhyuk told him, sinking down and crouching in the water.

"They only cut them off?" Changkyun asked. "Why?"

"Just so people can interact with them without the risk of being stung. Does it hurt them to cut them?" 

"No," Changkyun replied. "It would only hurt the rays if you pulled the barbs off of them rather than cutting." 

Minhyuk nodded in response, quirking his lips up. “I’m glad it doesn’t hurt them at least.” 

Minhyuk released Changkyun’s hand as he spoke, placing it on the ground while he lowered the hand with the sardine into the water. Changkyun watched on in amusement as Angel caught the scent almost immediately. She beat her fins in the water excitedly before moving forward, closer to Minhyuk’s hand. She hovered in front of Minhyuk’s hand, almost hesitant, but soon enough her mouth was directly over the fish, sucking it up. Minhyuk’s lips stretched into a wide smile, his eyes sparkling as they lit up with excitement.

“Do you have more?” Minhyuk asked, turning those bright eyes to Changkyun. His stomach swooped at the intensity of the gaze and all he could do was laugh in response. Minhyuk’s gaze seemed to grow more piercing at that, as if he could see through Changkyun’s actions and read him. It made him nervous but at the same time a zealous thrill coursed through him. Changkyun didn’t know if this was the power of his bond as his soulmate or if it was just Minhyuk as a whole. Not that it would really matter in the end which it was

“You can feed both of them to her,” Changkyun said, holding out the sardines for the human. Minhyuk eagerly took them from Changkyun, giggling when Angel immediately sucked up the second fish. He gave her the third and happily pet her when she rubbed against Minhyuk, one of her fins smacking against Changkyun as she did so.

“I think she wants you to swim with us,” Changkyun chuckled. 

Minhyuk froze at the words and Changkyun looked at the other in confusion. Minhyuk looked over at Changkyun, bottom lip between his teeth; however Minhyuk quickly looked away and went back to petting Angel. “I’d rather not go for a swim today.”

“But...” Changkyun paused, his eyes sweeping across Minhyuk’s belongings. “Why did you bring a towel and wear your trunks if you didn’t want to swim?”

“Who doesn’t bring a towel and trunks to the beach?” Minhyuk threw back at him.

“I guess you have a point,” Changkyun said. He stared at the human, thinking as he watched the other shift under his gaze uncomfortably. If Changkyun really thinks hard about it, the whole time he’s known Minhyuk, after saving him, he hasn’t swam in the water once despite having gotten in the water frequently before that. An idea popped in Changkyun’s head but he wanted to be sure. “How long has it been since we met?” Changkyun asked.

“Oh, uh...” Minhyuk hummed. “I think it’s been around a month? Maybe a little longer? Why?”

“Well,” Changkyun said, stretching out and finally lowering himself from his raised position. It took the strain off his back as he lowered his torso onto the sand, resting his head on his arms and looking up at Minhyuk. “I realized the whole time we’ve known each other you haven’t gone swimming.”

“Oh?” Minhyuk chuckled, but it sounded strained, forced. “I hadn’t realized. I guess I’ve just been too distracted by you.”

“First of all, that’s sappy and gross,” Changkyun said, earning a genuine laugh from Minhyuk. Changkyun smiled in response, shaking his head. 

He moved one of his arms out from under his head, shifting as he held it out to Minhyuk. Minhyuk took his hand and ended up lying next to him, mirroring his position. The human bumped Changkyun’s fin and gasped, opening his mouth most likely to apologize, but Changkyun cut him off by tugging his body closer. His fins flopped, stirring the water and disturbing Angel where she had been resting, the bat ray swam off hurriedly as she’d been startled. Changkyun rolled his eyes as Minhyuk settled next to him, the fin that was closest to Minhyuk bent up and over his backside and legs, covering them completely, much like a blanket would.

“Second of all, you don’t need to lie to me or try to hide the truth,” Changkyun pushed. He squeezed Minhyuk’s hand, attempting to reassure him. Minhyuk sighed dropping his head onto his arms the same way Changkyun had. 

“I know, I’m just scared of going back out after the last time,” Minhyuk sighed.

“There’s nothing wrong with being scared,” Changkyun whispered, staring at Minhyuk. “You almost died, it’s okay to be scared.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Hey now,” Changkyun admonished, letting go of Minhyuk’s hand and tracing his thumb across the other's forehead, smoothing the creases out and smiling reassuringly. “You don’t need to sound so put out. You’ll manage to face it. You love the sea right?”

“Of course I do,” Minhyuk responded.

“And you want me to show you more one day? Out there in the ocean, you said so yourself last week,” Changkyun reminded him. “To see all that, to learn more and explore, you have to face your fear.”

Minhyuk sighed in response, staying silent as he stared at the sand, etching pictures of fish into it as he dragged his fingers across the ground.

“You’ll face it one day and see where I live,” Changkyun breathed out, drawing a small fish next to Minhyuk’s own. “I know you will.”

 

******

 

Minhyuk snickered as Changkyun shifted in his seat, grimacing. He was still uncomfortable being restrained in human clothes, despite having gone out with Minhyuk once before. “Shut up,” Changkyun muttered, sending the other a withering glare.

“How could I?” Minhyuk teased. “You’re so cute when you squirm.”

“Whatever,” Changkyun grumbled, ignoring Minhyuk in favor of the menu. He already knew what he wanted, Minhyuk had told him about a dish called clam chowder that sounded delightful to Changkyun. He had a particular preference for shellfish, especially clams and scallops, thanks to some of his eagle ray attributed instincts. Minhyuk called him cute for it but he just rolled his eyes when it got brought up, ignoring the other.

“Hi, I’m Jooheon and...” The server trailed off, looking up from his notepad. “Oh, hey Minhyuk.” 

“Oh, Jooheon! Hey!” Minhyuk stood up from his chair, giving the server a hug. Changkyun looked at the two of them, tilting his head to the side as he observed them. He’d been told about Jooheon, but for some reason he had expected someone who was softer. Jooheon didn’t look soft, he seemed so intimidating. Could this really have been the boy Minhyuk had mentioned?

“Changkyun, this is Jooheon!” Minhyuk piped up, pulling Changkyun from his thoughts. “I’ve told you about him a few times.”

“Ah, yeah you have,” Changkyun responded. “Uh, I’m Changkyun,” he said shyly, lowering his head to avoid the humans sharp gaze.

“Minhyuk told me about you a while ago,” Jooheon said casually.

“O-oh?” Changkyun stuttered, his eyes flitting up to Jooheon briefly before they went back down to the table. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Minhyuk sit back down but his stomach was in knots, still nervous around humans that weren’t Minhyuk. “What did he say?” he asked, flipping a page on the menu to look busy.

“He just told me that he met you on the beach and that you were _really_ cute,” Jooheon said, lowering his voice as if he were trying to keep Minhyuk out of the loop and leaning forward. “He was right about you being cute.”

Changkyun blushed at the compliment and finally looked up at Jooheon, maintaining eye contact with the server. “Thank you,” Changkyun said, smiling shyly. “He told me that you’re studying oceanography in school.”

“Yeah, I am!” Jooheon responded, a smile growing on his face. That was when Changkyun noticed that Jooheon had two deep dimples gracing his face, making him appear sweeter and friendlier. 

“Oh…” Changkyun wheezed. “You’re really cute.” 

“Hey!” Minhyuk gasped, clearly scandalized at his date calling his best friend cute. 

Jooheon and Changkyun both blushed at Changkyun’s words. Changkyun fiddled with his hands in his lap, flustered at how quickly the compliment came out. Changkyun hadn’t intended to say it out loud, the thought just came over him so suddenly that he couldn’t help but to blurt it. 

“Thanks,” Jooheon responded, scratching his neck with his free hand as a small smile danced on his face. 

Changkyun blushed and looked down at his menu, folding it shut the way Minhyuk had told him to do when he was ready to order. Minhyuk raised an eyebrow at him but followed suit, closing his own. Upon seeing this Jooheon let out a small chuckle, pulling his pen out of his pocket. “So I’m assuming you’re both ready to order?” he asked.

“I am, yes,” Changkyun replied, looking up at the cute server.

“Well what can I get for you?”

“Uhm, a large bowl of clam chowder,” Changkyun told him.

“I’ll have fish sticks and fries,” Minhyuk said.

“Fish...fish sticks?” Changkyun repeated, eyes growing wide. “You’re eating **claspers**?” he nearly shouted, horrified. Jooheon jumped beside him, surprised and probably confused, while Minhyuk just laughed.

“No! Oh my god!” Minhyuk wheezed, clutching his stomach as he cackled, his face turning red from how hard he was laughing. “It’s just, just deep fried fish,” he said between breaths, still laughing.

“Deep fried fish claspers?” Changkyun asked, feeling sick. He knew Minhyuk wasn’t against eating clasper, but he didn’t think he’d eat it like this!

“No!” Minhyuk gasped, holding his stomach with one hand as he wiped a hand under his eye. “Actual fish, baby, like cod or pollock.” Minhyuk’s smile was bright as he giggled, shaking his head.

“Oh…” Changkyun trailed off, embarrassment weighing his stomach down. He frowned at the menu that was still in front of him, he grumbled and pouted, crossing his arms.

“Uh dude,” Jooheon spoke up, breaking the silence. “How do you not know what a fish stick is?”

 

******

 

“Are you sure you’re ready to do this?” Changkyun asked, squeezing Minhyuk’s hand as they walked down the rocks into their secluded alcove, just having gotten back from going to the movie theatre for the first time.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Minhyuk said. “I need to try soon or I might never be able to get in.” 

“Then just let me know if it gets to be too much,” Changkyun reassured him. “I’ll take you back to the beach at your signal.”

Minhyuk nodded, taking a deep breath when they got down to the water's edge, stopping at the dry point in the sand. “Okay,” Minhyuk whispered. 

Changkyun squeezed the other's hand, before releasing it to step away. He pulled off his shirt, beginning to strip so he could get in the water. Beside him Minhyuk was doing the same, but unlike Changkyun, he kept his swim trunks on. When Changkyun was down to nothing but his underwear he picked up the towel Minhyuk let him borrow and held it around himself, slipping out of the boxers underneath it.

“Are you ready?” Changkyun asked, walking closer to Minhyuk and placing a gentle hand on his elbow. 

“As ready as I’ll never be,” Minhyuk said dryly.

“Sure,” Changkyun dead panned. “That’s the spirit.”

Minhyuk turned to him, surely ready to sass, but Changkyun pushed him forward, closer to the water, before he had the chance to say anything. Minhyuk stumbled forward, stopping a few feet away from the water and pouting at Changkyun. “You promised to get in before me.”

“And I will,” Changkyun replied, walking forward a few feet to reach Minhyuk. “But I wanted to get you just a little closer to the water. Make sure you follow through.”

“What happened to you being soft and gentle?” Minhyuk scoffed. 

“I still will be, but I want to be sure you follow through on at least getting in the water before running out and bolting.”

Minhyuk grumbled at Changkyun’s response but both of them knew the merman was right. With no more protesting to be heard, Changkyun sat down in the sand, scooting forward until he reached the water’s edge. When the water touched his feet and splashed up his legs, his tail began to form before their eyes. Despite both of them having seen it multiple times, it still fascinated them both. The transformation was like something out of a magical girl anime, according to Minhyuk. There were flashes of pink and blue light as a bright white glow traced from his feet to hips and then spreading outwards as his large fins and long thin tail formed.

Once he had his proper form back he moved deeper into the water, flapping his wide fins and pushing with his hands to get deeper into the water. “Help me out,” Changkyun said, throwing the words over his shoulder as he wiggled. 

Minhyuk simply giggled at him, but Changkyun heard the water splash as Minhyuk walked towards him. A gentle hand was placed against Changkyun’s shoulder and the other at the small of his back. The pressure grew when Minhyuk began to push him, helping ease him deeper into the water. Once they were about waist deep Changkyun managed to turn over with no problem, his fins splashing water up as he flipped right side up.

“Are you absolutely ready?” Changkyun asked, looking up at Minhyuk from where he was lowered in the water.

“I’ve come this far,” Minhyuk said.

“Good,” Changkyun smiled. “Lets swim for now and if it gets to be too much without support just get my attention and I’ll let you ride on my back.”

“I’ll need to be on your back once we get to the kelp forest,” Minhyuk worried.” I’ll probably be fine once we’re past that but it would be too much alone.”

“That’s alright,” Changkyun reassured. “I’ll ride at the surface so your head can stay above water.”

“Thanks,” Minhyuk said. He stared out at the sea, taking a deep breath before he began to move. Changkyun moved slowly, following the humans pace. He kept enough room between them so that the water his fins stirred wouldn’t hit Minhyuk or make it more difficult for him to swim. They got deeper into the water, getting close to the point where Minhyuk would have difficulty seeing without the surprise Changkyun has in store for him. However this meant they were just before the kelp forest. 

Changkyun surfaced, lifting his head, calling for the other. “Get on my back.”

Minhyuk looked over, seemingly surprised, but paddled over to him with strong, steady strokes. Changkyun sank just below the surface, allowing Minhyuk to grab onto his shoulders and rest on his back. Taking on Minhyuk was a harder task than he had imagined, but it was something he could easily handle and would never tire of. He began to swim once more, keeping Minhyuk’s head above the surface, his fins breaking the surface of the water. The hands on his shoulders tightened as they passed over the kelp forest. Changkyun kept a steady pace, doing his best to keep Minhyuk calm. He passed a few leopard sharks, smiling at them as he swam past. 

They continued on at a slow pace, but once they made it past the kelp forest Changkyun increased his speed. Changkyun laughed underwater, enjoying the feeling of flying through the water with Minhyuk on his back. However, the merman had no choice but to slow down as Minhyuk’s grip tightened, a sharp pain shooting down his back at the pressure. He slowed to a stop over a large rock formation he recognized.

“Changkyun where are we even going?” Minhyuk asked.

“Honestly, I’m not sure,” He said once he breached the surface. “I was just going to see where the tide took us.”

Minhyuk frowned at him, clearly unamused. “If you’re going to play with me, just take me back.”

“I’m not playing with you,” Changkyun said, tail whipping underwater. “I have so much to show you but don’t know where to start.”

“Well start here. Show me what’s around us, small fish, big fish the floor bed, sharks, eagle rays. I want to see it all, Changkyun,” Minhyuk rushed out. “We don’t need to start big.”

“Well…” Changkyun started. “I have a surprise for you before I show you anything.”

“What is it?” Minhyuk asked excitedly.

“Well close your eyes,” Changkyun told him, moving forward. “I’m going to put my hand over your eyes and the other on your neck. Don’t freak out at the tingling okay.”

Minhyuk nodded, eyes already shut. Changkyun gently placed his hands over Minhyuk’s head. He closed his eyes and focused his energy into his hands like he had learned. He took a deep breath and counted to three before releasing it, squeezing gently on Minhyuk’s head and neck at the same time. He opened his eyes and pulled away from the other, a smile dancing across his face. 

“Open your eyes, then go underwater and take a look,” Changkyun said. Minhyuk opened his eyes and stared at Changkyun, head tilted to the side, confused. Changkyun snickered and rolled his eyes at the human. “Just follow me, but keep your eyes open.”

He dipped underwater, tail whipping as his fins flapped in the water. He watched on as Minhyuk opened his eyes. The boy’s immediate reaction had been to gasp and he nearly panicked at the water flowing into his mouth, but he froze. “You can breathe right?” Changkyun asked.

“Yeah…” Minhyuk said, astonished. 

“It’s only temporary, it’ll fade off in a few minutes” Changkyun said. “The gift of sight and breath is one of the few magical skills mermaid are free to learn as they please. I was taught by Hyungwon’s mother how to grant these gifts.”

“It’s amazing,” Minhyuk marveled, looking around him. He stared at the sea floor, twenty feet below, before looking back up at Changkyun. “I can go down to the sea floor like this?” He asked. 

“Yeah,” Changkyun replied. “Hold onto my shoulders, I’ll take you around on the bottom.” 

Minhyuk smiled at the other brightly, gliding over to him with a smooth kick. Changkyun held his hand out, grabbing Minhyuk’s hand and guiding him to his shoulders. Once Minhyuk had a secure grasp, Changkyun slowly moved down to the bottom. They moved over it, Minhyuk staring in fascination at the urchins and starfish but gasped when they came across an octopus. Changkyun couldn’t help but giggle at his reaction. Changkyun moved a hand to touch the creature, earning a cloud of ink in their faces from the creature. They both spluttered as Changkyun moved back and up away from the ink cloud, but they couldn’t help but laugh.

Minhyuk pulled off of Changkyun’s shoulders, laughing as the two of them bobbed in place. “That was the best thing I’ve ever seen,” Minhyuk wheezed. A bright smile on his face. 

Changkyun just smiled at him fondly, unable to really form words at the situation. There was still ink swirling around Minhyuk’s head, curling around his hair as it spread and floated around his head. His hair created a dark halo around his head, making him even more ethereal. Minhyuk finally caught onto Changkyun’s silence and met his gaze. His expression became less gleeful, but no less happy. He tilted his head to the side, much like a puppy, before his eyebrows quirked up, his eyes narrowing at the same time. It gave him almost a seductive look as he swam towards Changkyun, stopping directly in front of him. He threw his arms over Changkyun’s shoulders, hanging off of him as they drifted. 

He took a deep breath and smiled at Changkyun, his expression filled with hope and adoration. “Can I kiss you?” 

Changkyun’s stomach flipped at the question, sending him reeling. His head spun as he tilted his head forward, his forehead bumping against Minhyuk’s. He giggled as he tilted his head the rest of the way, their lips meeting in a soft kiss. Changkyun wrapped his arms all the way around Minhyuk’s bare waist, his hands overlapping as he held Minhyuk close to him.

Minhyuk’s arms snaked upwards, wrapping completely around Changkyun’s neck, one hand resting at the base of his scalp and the other down his back. Changkyun unintentionally spun them around in a small circle, his fins beating the water out of joy. Their lips moved together, brushing against each other in slow fluid motions. 

Out of nowhere though bubbles were blown into his mouth and he pulled back, surprised, but gasped when he realized it meant Minhyuk was about to run out of air. The other look confused and Changkyun knew he needed to get him air. He flicked his fins in a downward curve and quickly took them up to the surface. They broke the water, Minhyuk gasping, coughing out the water in his chest and dispelling it.

“What happened?” he asked.

“The spell was about to wear off. I told you it would only last a few minutes.” Changkyun said, frowning.

“Well it was amazing,” Minhyuk assured. He gave Changkyun a tight hug, burying his face in the crook of his neck. Changkyun smiled when he felt a soft kiss against his neck and heard a small whisper. He sighed and kissed the side of Minhyuk’s head, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend.

“Thank you for showing me a new world.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far thank you for reading < 3 I really hope all who completed it enjoyed the fic. Please don't forget to leave kudos and comment, it's my life blood y'all LMAO.  
> As always come find me on twitter at [nataewon](https://twitter.com/nataewon) <3
> 
> By the way I haven't decided yet but I might be making a JooWon sequel, potentially with tentacle porn involved. I have no clue if I'll actually find the energy to write it though so if someone wants a JooWon sequel feel free to yell at me.


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